To the Front
The 33rd Division served in the Somme-Amiens sector from June 13 to August 23, 1918. From August 23 to September 26 the division was then moved to the Verdun sector near the infamous Hill 304. Hill 304 was a highly contested position for both the Allied and Central Powers in the Battle of Verdun of 1916, a battle in which total casualties numbered approximately 800,000 soliders. Hendrickson described Hill 304 stating "such a place, shell holes link from the beginning to the end of the whole hill, trenches wiped out, wire entanglement torn to shreads. Such a place I never thot existed." (September 9, 1918).
Finally the division assisted in the Meuse-Argonne drive from September 26th until Armistice Day.
While in Europe, Hendrickson was generally well behind the frontlines, serving in the Signal Corps and Headquarters Band. Even though he was behind the front line, his posts were still within the range of German gas attacks and shelling, leading to numerous close calls. On occasion, Hendrickson wrote about these attacks in his diary, recounting that at "3:30 AM German plane came over and bombed quite a little. In the village wrecked a barn that was empty. Many window glasses shattered. One bomb exploded between 2 Ausie tents-1 was killed and 7 wounded" (July 28, 1918). Hendrickson also soon became disillusioned with Europe and the war effort, writing to his parents in July 1918, only one long month after arriving in Europe, "Well some think we will be home by Xmas. I wish I could fool myself into believing that too. For it sure would be nice to spend Xmas at home." (July 12th, 1918) showing both his exhaustion with the war, and the quickly gained belief that the war would be never ending.